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Bigfeet
750,000+ }} The bigfeet (ビッグフィート Biggufīto) are a race of half-ape/monkey, half-human hominids that populate Ape Island in the Calm Belt. Currently, their Chieftain is a heralded figure known as Skookum, who is a descendant of the former Chieftain and folk-hero, Sun Wukong. So far, these two are the only shown heroes of the bigfeet race known thus far. And considering the fact that Ape Island is situated in the Calm Belt, and thus naturally protected by the dangerous conditions surrounding them, very few people in the world are aware of the island's exact location; thus making it a natural refuge for the bigfeet who seek shelter from persecution and hunting. However, as technology develops, and new seastone tools are made available, the chances of the bigfeet hiding their presence from the rest of the world is steadily decreasing. Appearance Bigfeet can come in a variety of body shapes, hair colors, sizes, and skin tones, and are even distinctly split between those who have grown tails, and those who still retain their original tail-less features. What they share in common however, is that each and every bigfoot is highly noted for being much larger than a fully grown human (excluding certain outliers, such as Brook or Whitebeard.) This is what gives the race their name, since their increased height has also lead to them leaving behind massive footprints; which is usually the calling card that a bigfoot has been in an area recently. While an individual bigfoot's height may vary, the race as a whole tend to average between 9 feet and 12 feet; with 9 ft. tall bigfeet being the shortest members of the race, and 12 ft. tall bigfeet being their largest members yet. Additionally, all bigfeet seen thus far have been seen with sharp fangs for teeth, and black claw-like finger and toenails. Other than this, a bigfoot's hair color can vary wildly; with some members sporting snow-white fur (such as Hanuman,) while others can be seen with more common, earthy colors (such as Yeren's brown hair color.) Other notable hair colors have been seen as well, like Skookum's greying hair, and Sun Wukong's wild, vibrant red hair. While not much knowledge is known as to why the bigfeet have such varying degrees of hair color, one possible theory suggests that it has to do with the region in which a bigfoot was born. With the mountainous, snowy regions creating white fur, while the swamps and jungles of Ape Island produce browns, blacks, and greys (although it's also suggested that Skookum's grey hair color is due to old age.) Also, and less understandably, is the fact that bigfeet come in a variety of different skin colors, despite originating on the same island. Hanuman, for example, has pink-ish, salmon-like skin, whereas Yeren and Skookum have charcoal colored skin instead. The theory that a region of Ape Island defines the color of a bigfoot could possibly explain why this happens, although it isn't a perfect theory, and there are still many different bigfeet with various color schemes that make this theory hard to accept (especially when many of these bigfeet come from the same region, or a neighboring region of a certain colored bigfoot.) Biology Physically, bigfeet are no less different from the appearances of humans and other primates, barring their tremendous sizes and oddly shaped ears. Anatomically, bigfeet share some traits with humans and primates as well, and thus further blend the two aspects together even more. They walk upright, and have blood that is compatible with humans, fishmen and merfolk, and other species that resemble humans to some degree; whereas they still show visible fangs and sharpened nails, similiar to many monkeys and great apes, and are also just as compatible with primates via blood transfusions as they are with humans. A bigfoot's limbs are long and lanky, like many monkeys, and as such, this gives the bigfeet an enormous amount of muscular strength, as well as speed and durability. Furthermore, is the fact that Bigfeet are naturally stronger than humans, even at young ages. This enhanced strength, and the speed and defensive qualities to go with it, has often put them on par with various other superhuman races in the One Piece world, such as the fishmen, which have sometimes been referred to as the bigfeet's aquatic rivals of sorts. Additionally, the bones are much thicker and sturdier than human bone, and so this helps to reinforce the durability of a bigfoot, and allows them to withstand certain degrees of damage and injury that average humans might possibly die from; as well as further protecting and shielding sensitive internal organs from debilitating injuries. The most striking feature of individual bigfeet is the difference between those who have tails, and those who don't. While outwardly, it makes very little difference as to whether one has a tail or not; within bigfoot society however, the appearance of a tail marks an individual as wild and animalistic, and thus more prone to being emotional and wild in behavior; where the absence of a tail is looked upon as being more civilized, human-like, and much more rational in comparison. How certain bigfeet are born with tails whereas others are not isn't made clear, but it probably has to do with heritage and ancestry, as well as the luck of the draw---so to speak. The only main usage coming from having a tail seems to be the ability to use it as another spare limb when in times of need, seeing as how the tails of bigfeet have quite clearly shown the ability to become prehensile, and operate much like an elongated arm or leg. In fact, the tails have even shown enough strength to support a fully grown Bigfoot by itself, indicating just how much power is put into the muscles of a bigfoot's tail. This is also further demonstrated by the way in which bigfeet tend to use their tails when fighting, by using their Bigfoot Muay-Thai fighting style. There have been instances of bigfeet breaking rocks and landing solid blows on enemies with varying degrees of success, only through the use of their single tail. Inter-species Relationships The bigfeet are the sole, dominant species of Ape Island; leaving them with no other race or species to compete with for food and space. As a result of this solitude and their home's location within the dangerous Calm Belt, many bigfeet born on Ape Island grow up knowing very little of the world around them. What information that does get passed down to them usually comes from older generations who have suffered years of hardship and trauma for their efforts, or those who have heard of such tales from other bigfeet. This has created a culture on the island where the opinions and reasoning of its inhabitants is completely one-sided; leaving little to no room for differing viewpoints. In return, given that Ape Island is within the Calm Belt and not under the jurisdiction of the World Government, the island itself lacks frequent visitors. This in turn has made the culture and social norms of the bigfeet puzzling and mysterious to humans and other races. The confusion, misunderstanding and conflict between the bigfeet and humanity has sparked great resentment and distrust for one another, spanning hundreds of years. Due to being denied the same rights as humans, as well as hunted and hated because of their appearance and differences, the bigfeet have adopted a like-minded stance towards humans as that of the fishmen; believeing humans to be a weak and inferior species. Furthermore, given the similar yet obvious differences in their biology, it is a common belief that humans are unevolved creatures, and that the bigfeet are more advanced than them; thus comparing humanity to that of animals. Humans are not the only species to incur the wrath of the bigfeet, as further exploration has brought them into contact with fishmen and merfolk too. Despite their similiar grievances with humanity, both bigfeet and fishmen fell victim to the same conflict they ran into with humans. However, because both species are more physically capable than humans and have been recorded as rivaling each other in terms of overall strength, the relations between bigfeet and fishmen differs from that of bigfeet and humans. Since fishmen and merfolk have less in common with bigfeet than humans do, the bigfeet have labeled them as "sea monsters" and "freaks of nature," instead of viewing them as people. However, as dim as the view of other species may seem, this outlook is not shared by every member of the bigfeet species. Hanuman managed to reform and abandon his old racist notions of humanity after coming into contact with The Jolly Pirates, who had saved him from slave traders back on Lucky 7. He later joined the crew as their cook after finally being persuaded by both Jolly D. Chris, and later, Mut Mizu. Also, Kratos became a Marine Captain and member of the Null Squad because of a debt to Hawkins D. James, whom Kratos thinks of as a brother. Yuki joined The Dream Pirates after being adopted by them, despite his family having been driven out by humans prior to meeting the Dreams. And even Yeren allowed humans and other species and races to join his crew; though more out of arrogance than kindness. Additionally, it is not uncommon for bigfeet to find members of the opposite sex within other species such as humans to be attractive; as was noted by the passing glances a few of The Jolly Pirates received from the natives of Ape Island. In much the same way that bigfeet have developed a disdain for humanity, humans and various other species don't look too kindly on the bigfeet. Proven through acts such as excluding bigfeet from human activities and homes, and even refusing to give them jobs; going as far as chasing them away through force when sufficiently provoked. They also get labeled as "monsters," "educated animals," and even more often, "apes" and "monkeys." Over time, humans in particular began actively hunting the bigfeet as if they were wild animals. Reasons can vary from sport to sustenance, to self-defense, and even to petty amusement. Unlike the attempts to amend relations between the fishmen and humans, the World Government has shown only indifference towards the bigfeet. As a result, the bigfeet are not officially recognized as citizens by the World Government and are thus outside the law; forcing the bigfeet to fend for themselves, as well as making them easy victims of injustice. Thus, there are no known punishments for enslaving or hunting bigfeet, while on the other hand, it is easy for a bigfoot to be found guilty of a crime and imprisoned and executed for it. It's also become a growing trend to purchase bigfoot slaves as opposed to fishman or merfolk slaves, in order to avoid arrestment for slavery. It is this inequality that has bred the hatred towards humanity throughout the years, as well as force the bigfeet to live on the brink; often pushing them to do outrageous acts such as take up piracy as a form of rebellion, or simply to make a living. Others have taken up refuge on Ape Island to escape the persecution of the other species in the One Piece world. This then continues the cycle of hatred and violence, as these bigfeet pass on their beliefs to the next generation of bigfeet. Thus, a self-destructive pattern has emerged within bigfoot culture; where there are those who fight back against injustice by performing criminal deeds, and there are the others who leave their resentment of humans for their children to inherit. Currently, bigfeet are worth 75,000 as a starting price in the slave market. The act of blood transfusion between bigfeet and humans is as discouraged as that of blood transfusion between fishmen and humans. In the case of the bigfeet, they find sharing their blood with humans to be uncivilized and backward. This makes it a rare case, as well as a remarkable event if a bigfoot decides to share their blood with a human. The opposite is also true, as humans agree that blood transfusions with bigfeet is no different to giving blood to animals. However, as bigfeet are not recognized as equals by the World Government, the act of sharing blood with a bigfoot is not considered criminal. There is a great deal of social stigma on both sides regarding this action though. In light of so much bad blood between bigfeet and humans, there are those among humans, fishmen, merfolk and other species who don't outright hate or fear the bigfeet. Those like The Jolly Pirates or The Dream Pirates seem entirely accepting of the bigfeet, with some members of the Jollys even finding fascination in the bigfeet. There are also cases where fishmen and bigfeet can strike up a mutual bond; whether out of genuine friendship or simply because of their shared history of discrimination by humans. Merfolk, being comparatively more peaceful than their fishmen brethren, have not only made attempts to bridge peace between them and humans, but with bigfeet too. Overall Strength Ever since the historic battle against the fishman pirates, The High-Tide Pirates, the bigfeet race began to be considered a terrestrial rival race to the aquatic fishmen. This is most evident in their strength, and the differences in where this power is applied to. For fishmen, while they are still indeed strong enough to overpower average humans on dry land, their true abilities shine once they are submerged underwater, where their strength and speed is amplified. For bigfeet, they lose strength and speed underwater much like any other non-marine species would, but they retain their dominance over many other species in terms of raw physical strength, speed, and endurance when on dry land. Many bigfeet have shown the capability to easily use their innate strength to destroy objects normal humans could not on their own, such as solid stone and wood for instance. Though through training, a bigfoot can grow to be much more powerful, and perform showcases of strength and speed that can outmatch most other species. Much like the fishmen, who have a Fishman Dojo in order to practice and learn Fishman Karate, the bigfeet eventually decided to establish a dojo of their own, in which to learn their Bigfoot Muay-Thai fighting style. The dojo was agreed to be situated upon a high perch atop the Abom mountain range, the particular mountains being the highest known in the center of Ape Island. As a result of being trained in such harsh conditions, practitioners of Bigfoot Muay-Thai are known for being much stronger and more proficient in combat than average bigfeet. Users of the fighting style tend to make use of their increased body height and strength, and so they ram their opponents with strikes and blows that are further strengthened by their entire body weight put behind each attack; making this fighting style geared towards intense amounts of destruction and injury in relatively small time, and with less effort, making it a deadly martial art. Although there are those who have honed their Bigfoot Muay-Thai to such a degree, that they can fight on pure instinct alone, giving them more time to focus on fighting without wasting a moment having to think. Other practitioners have shown some preference for weapon-based attacks as well, such as wielding a tree or a metal beam as a staff in one instance. This reliance on pure power and instinct has often made bigfeet labeled as wild animals instead of people, which further adds fuel to the fires that burn between the Bigfeet and other races' discrimination for one another. Other than raw genetic strength and their wild fighting style, bigfeet have shown to be fully aware of Haki as a race, indicating that like the Kuja, they seem to have an affinity for this hidden 6th sense. While it could be because of their more feral traits and societal norms giving them an increased will to live, the bigfeet have often written off their ability to use Haki as their "oneness with nature." Because of this, it's often rare to see a bigfoot who cannot use, or is completely unaware of Haki at all. When Hanuman first battled The Jolly Pirates on Ape Island, he remarked that he was surprised to see a human capable of harnessing and understanding Haki (the human in question was Rose Glory.) This not only showed the bigfeet's complete knowledge of Haki, but that like with anything else about the other races they were ignorant towards, it showed that they have no knowledge that other races know of or can use Haki either. Bigfeet also seem to be aware of Haoshoku Haki, as it was noted that famed Chieftain, Sun Wukong, was capable of using it in battle when necessary, and was one of the reasons he became Chieftain in the first place. Even Hanuman, who was something of an uneducated man among his race, seemed to know what Haoshoku Haki was, only after seeing it used once by Jolly D. Chris at Wonder Island. This makes it safe to say that the Bigfeet have just as much of a grasp on Haki as the Kuja do. Beliefs True to their wild, untamed appearance and abilities, the bigfeet share a common, animalistic belief that might makes right and that the strongest of a group should lead while the weak are ruled over. This crude, barbaric system of government forces the bigfeet to constantly fight for dominance when given the opportunity, or when one or more bigfeet find a current leader to be unsuitable for the position. This firmly held belief has been likened to that of how wild animals choose a leader to guide them, much to the chagrin of the bigfeet, who see themselves as more advanced than wild animals. The way in order to attain dominance in bigfeet culture is to challenge the current leader to battle and defeat them. It is believed that a leader must be physically powerful, intelligent, and in complete self-control of their emotions, among other secondary traits, such as being skillfull, wise and experienced. Due to the wide range of values the bigfeet place in their leaders, a genuine authoritative figure can be hard to come by, if not outright rare; thus forcing the bigfeet to at times bend the rules and allow those with the bare minimum number of necessary traits take charge of a group. Despite this being the societal norm for a vast majority of bigfeet, there have been notable aversions seen once in a while. One example includes Hanuman, the cook of The Jolly Pirates; who, while at first, complained that he was working under an unreliable captain due to the beliefs of the bigfeet, eventually accepted Chris as his leader, and grew content with it. Those born and raised outside Ape Island, such as Yeren, may lack the cultural influence of their race as well; as Yeren, despite being the most powerful member of his crew, didn't believe that it made him the best choice for captain, and even respected Chris for his similar role, despite not living up to the same standards Hanuman and other bigfeet set up for him. Bigfeet are also isolationists, and believe that cutting themselves off from the outside world is the best chance for survival. It's implied the race wasn't always like this, but due to repetitive incidents between humans and fishmen, and given the changes going on in the world around them, the bigfeet have steadily adopted a closed-door policy of sorts, in order to protect themselves from further harm. However, like with the beliefs regarding leadership, there are those who don't share the same sentiment as their fellow bigfeet, and are either accepting of the world, or actively pursue it for personal reasons. Yeren of The Collosal Pirates is a good example of this, as he was born away from Ape Island, and so he lacks the isolationist viewpoint that most other native bigfeet follow. Skookum, current chieftain of the bigfeet of Ape Island, declared once that when the world changes for the better, and has finally abandoned impurities such as discrimination, that the bigfeet would ultimately rejoin the world and its affairs. On the subject of discrimination, the bigfeet have not only felt the pain of being hated, but have in turn experienced and adopted hatred towards their perceived enemies; most notably the fishmen and humans, though this seems to have evolved into a sense of distrust towards any non-bigfoot race. Like the fishmen, quite a large number of bigfeet hold a good deal of resentment towards the two races for various actions against the bigfeet in the past, but tend to be no better when lashing out at either fishmen or humans. And likewise, not all bigfeet are racist, and there are some with varying degrees of racism. Yeren, despite looking down on Chris and the other Jolly Pirates, was more driven by his massive ego rather than by racist notions. Likewise, Skookum attempted to try and make peace with the pirates, as opposed to starting senseless conflict with them as Hanuman had. And even former racist Hanuman managed to get over his hatred for humans in particular after much persuasion from Chris, Skookum and Mut Mizu, and even cemented his acceptance of humanity when he stated he'd make a meal that would unite everyone in the world, which would soon become his dream. Bigfeet Trivia *The bigfeet are based on, and inspired by eyewitness accounts of various bigfoot sightings seen around the world. This is most clearly seen in the race's scarcity amongst the One Piece world, which references the elusiveness of bigfoot and various similiar creatures. *Every bigfoot seen so far, except for two, have been named after a variation of bigfoot, such as the Chinese yeren, the Japanese hibagon, or the Tibetan yeti; or have been named after famous and recognizeable ape and monkey-like figures in folklore and history, such as the Hindu monkey god, Hanuman, or the Chinese folk-hero, Sun Wukong. **Currently, Kratos, Sarutobi and Yuki are the only known bigfeet who's names don't reference a form of sasquatch or legendary ape or monkey. Instead, they are named after the Greek god of strength and power, a legendary fictional ninja and perhaps a Japanese name that could mean 'snow' or 'bravery,' respectively. However, in Sarutobi's case, it could possibly still be a reference to primates, as Sarutobi can mean "monkey jump." Site Navigation Category:Race Category:Wyvern 0m3g4 Category:One Dream